Acedia
by UnheardSalvation
Summary: What could go wrong when everything seems right? Real life AU
_**Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chad Noir**_

.

* * *

 _ **.**_

 _ **Acedia**_

 _ **.**_

I once dreamt of being someone famous.

Maybe not as big as Gabriel Agreste, but at least becoming someone that people would know by the mention of my name.

I dreamt of meeting my fans in public, receiving their gifts, take some pictures with them— That, would be amazing.

That, indeed, will be my paradise.

For that, I trained and polished my skills to the max.

I wrote so much, I lost count of the exact amount. But that's okay, as long as I'm making progress in polishing up my skills , that's all that counts. My hands were always sore from all the writings and painting, yet they seemed to disappear into thin air every time I read the comments left by my followers.

Logging into my account, with the noises of my old scanner nagging as it scans through my latest works playing out in the background, my heart beats so loudly, expressing how excited I am regarding my latest work.

Will they like this too?

A smile broke out without me realizing it.

The comments on the last work I posted received so much positive reviews, I swear my heart almost stopped beating as I saw how much new followers I was getting.

It's clear, I'm getting there.

My paradise, they will appear anytime by now.

 _Anytime._

 _ **.**_

 _ **Acedia**_

 _ **.**_

"Stolen works?"

It was unusual to see how depressing Alya was acting these days.

Her articles were stolen, she said.

She found out who had been doing it, but she couldn't stop them.

It was too large of a group.

"Marinette, listen to me. You _must_ do this. Stop posting your works online."

But then how would my followers know about me?

How would they know I'm still alive and kicking, how would they know that I'm improving myself for them?

Even so, I kept silent.

Alya looked too depressed now, I can't bear to see her being rejected of her opinion right now. Not right now.

"Make them _buy_ your work. Don't let them browse through it online."

I merely nodded and held her tightly in my embrace. I saw how hard she went through just to write her articles. I saw how she looked around for _days_ just for a small little detail she needed in her works. If she says that she's the second best to do her job perfectly, I'm pretty sure no one else can self-title themselves as number one. That's how good she is.

"I should have stop posting them online years ago— I should have taken down the old ones before _they_ do this. It's too late now."

Holding my best friend harder, I did not know what to say to her.

It'll be okay? Everything will get better?

Even I was unsure if this will get better. If I can't even convince myself, how could I convince her?

"Please Marinette, don't be like me."

Patting her shoulder gently, I nodded once more.

I can only trust my fans and followers. I can only believe in them for not doing this to me as well.

 _They won't. They love me,_ I convinced myself.

But what's with this premonition settling down deep within my heart?

 _ **.**_

 _ **Acedia**_

 _ **.**_

I'm there.

I can't believe it, I'm there.

The paradise I'm yearning so much for.

I couldn't be happier.

Oh, that aside, Alya was getting a little… over protective against me posting my works online now.

I understand, she was just worry for me. Well, who wouldn't after all that had happen? Still, it was getting too much.

I was not sure when was it exactly that it happened, before I knew it, we were fighting.

And when I say "fight", it's not that small ones that we can make up on the next day and become friends again kind, but the kind that leads to yelling, screaming, and crying from one party.

I repeatedly tell her that I would be fine, that I believe in my followers. She simply shook her head harder and ordered me to take down my account immediately.

"I believed in them too! Look what happen to me, Marinette!"

"I worked so hard to get to this stage— I can't just take _everything_ down right now!"

"You have to!"

It was _awful_.

"Stop being so irrational and listen to me!"

" _You_ are the one being irrational here!"

 _ **.**_

 _I shall say it once more._

 _My followers will not do this to me._

 _I trust them._

 _ **.**_

 _ **Acedia**_

 _ **.**_

My works was all over the net.

Someone reposted my work and claimed as theirs.

What's worse was that they gained even more fans and followers than mine, the original maker.

I reported them, and they took it down at the next day. Breathing out a relief sigh, I leaned back against my chair. They're probably young children that didn't know they have to credit me when they repost my works. Now that I tell them that, they should know that what they did was wrong.

Smiling to myself, I updated my account with new works before going to bed.

Things like this will not happen again.

I trust them.

 _They will not do this me._

 _ **.**_

 _ **Acedia**_

 _ **.**_

More scams.

More reports were done.

Similar situation, repeated.

The numbness of my hands were appearing, the pain were getting clearer, yet I could not stop to rest.

This time, it was not to improve myself; but to take down these scammers.

I can't rest.

If they are not taken down by today, if this continues—

The tears I held in for such a long time threatens to flow out.

.

 _Can you stop stealing LadyBug's work? You thief._

.

But that's me!

I'm the real LadyBug!

I'm the one writing those works, I'm the one painted those — _Not them!_

.

 _Don't you know any shame?_

 _._

The blame was pointed at me instead.

They posted a post saying that LadyBug is sad because someone was stealing her work and posting it before the official account can posts it, ending the post with a tag of my account and wrote that I was the imposter.

 _._

 _Do you think as her follower, we will be tricked by you just because you post the works earlier?_

 _Thief._

 _You're the worst._

 _._

… What?

What in the world?

.

 _No, I must believe in them._

 _They'll know._

 _My faith is with them._

 _ **.**_

 _ **Acedia**_

 _ **.**_

Perhaps it was because I reported the same issue too many times, perhaps it was really unstoppable— I don't know.

More precisely, I don't know anymore.

 _Thank you for your feedback._

 _Once again, we thank you for taking your time to report something that make you feel may violate our Community Standards. Reports like yours are an important part of making this site a safe and welcoming environment. We reviewed the accounts you reported for the account you reported as a fraud identity and found it doesn't violate our Community Standards._

What exactly does it means by "doesn't violate our Community Standards"?!

They are stealing my identity, my works — my everything.

And now you're telling me that they did _nothing_ wrong?!

I stomped out of my house, wanting to calm myself down with a walk in my favorite park. Nothing came out good when you're mad. Perhaps, just _perhaps_ , I'll be able to think of a better solution for this situation after taking a relaxing walk.

 _They will not do this to me._

 _I trust them._

Yes, I'll trust them.

Time will prove it, that's for sure.

As long as I manage to get those scammers to stop, everything will go back to normal.

After months of not smiling, I find it kind of hard to push the corner of my lips upwards, but that's okay. If I'm able to smile now, that means I'm feeling better.

Taking a walk out here is the best decision I've ever made, I'm glad.

"You smiled."

Staring at Alya before me, I was shocked to see her before me. I didn't even hear her walking near me all this while.

"You finally smile." She smiles back, a bitter one.

I understand why she gave me a bitter smile, for I, too can only reply her with a bitter smile.

We may be mad at each other, but we still wished the other the best. We may not apologize, but we still wish for the other to smile in their lives.

I know, she was worry for me when my smiles faded back then.

She said nothing about how she asked me to stop posting my works online before all this happens, she simply accompany me silently when I called her.

Just like now.

"Come, let's go back, Alya."

A nod was given, with a larger smile, I hooked my arm around her neck.

 _I trust them, that's all that matters._

"Alya?"

She was frozen in her place, her eyes growing wide as she stared ahead. Fear slowly overtaking her dulled emotion.

I turned to the direction she was looking at and felt my heart freezing up.

 _I trust them._

"… No way."

.

 _I trusted them._

.

The gallery before us, the works that was being sold— That's my work.

.

 _ **I trusted them.**_

 _._

" _Make them buy your work. Don't let them browse through it online."_

" _I should have stop posting them online years ago— I should have taken down the old ones_

 _before they do this. It's too late now."_

" _Please Marinette, don't be like me."_

.

 **I trusted them.**

 _ **.**_

All my hard work, yet no one recognized me for it.

What's the point?

What's the point of working so hard to please these scammers?

"Wait, Marinette—"

I ran away.

.

 _I trusted them._

 _ **.**_

 _ **Acedia**_

 _ **.**_

An implication on the lacking of interest or caring, although it sometimes still carries overtones of laziness— No one would actually care if they're hurting others when they can gain profit themselves.

When one does something, the others will blindly follow them — That's the exposed truth.

Who cares if it's not right? When one action was continued for a period of time without any voices against it, our mindset will change from "that's wrong" to "there's nothing wrong with doing this."

Acedia, a state of carelessness regarding one's condition, isn't that the best word to describe what I'm facing right now?

Where had I done wrong?

Was it back when I refused to give in to Alya's advice?

Or was I in the wrong from the start?

The comments I received before I gained my so-called paradise, they were those with the purest intentions. They deserve to know what'll happen next.

.

 _I can't take this anymore._

 _I'm sorry._

 _For those that still waits for my updates, I would like to thank all of you._

 _You guys are great, really._

 _I just… Don't think I can do this anymore._

 _Farewell._

 _._

 _Signed,_

 _LadyBug._

.

"Alya, will you help me?"

"I saw your post. Tell me, what do you want me to do for you?"

I don't want to do this.

I really don't want to.

"Marinette?" Alya's voice from the other line asked in a panicked voice.

"I'm alright, Alya." I probably should stop making her worry.

 _This will be the end for LadyBug._

"… Alya, erase the existence of _LadyBug_ for me, will you?"

I hung up before I could hear her reply.

I know she'll do it.

She knew my password, she has the free access to my account.

So, she'll do a good job of it, I'm sure.

 _ **.**_

 _ **Acedia**_

 _ **.**_

She did it, just like how I thought she would.

Even though my heart still hurts from thinking about my online identity being erased completelythis way, but this is the best.

I'll start all over with a new identity.

But this time, I will only post incomplete works.

You want to see the completed one? You're welcome to purchase the completed version from me personally.

.

 _Wow, your style is so similar to LadyBug's! It's a shame that she shut down all her accounts… Such a waste!_

 _._

If only they knew.

A bitter smile marked across my face.

If only.

.

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hey, it's UnheardSalvation again~ This is actually the complete story, "Hak" was just a warm up xD**_

 _ **The meaning of Acedia was searched using Wikipedia and Merriam-webster. I had the idea of using the word "acedia" as the title while watching RED's "Perfect Life" music video. Do check it out~!**_

 _ **Allow me to repeat this once more.**_

 _ **Reposting other's work and claiming as yours is the worst. You're hurting the creator by doing so.**_

 _ **This is not about over-reacting; this is about respecting others.**_

 _ **R &R**_

 _ **UnheardSalvation**_


End file.
